Mondesi Will Bat Third

The Dodgers have decided to move Raul Mondesi into the No. 3 spot in the batting order this season and drop Mike Piazza to the cleanup position.

“He’s going to get a good shot, and we told [Mondesi] that,” Manager Bill Russell said. “It would be ideal if he can do it because he can do so many things. He’s the complete package.”

Mondesi, who batted .297 last season with 24 homers and 88 runs batted in, primarily as the No. 5 hitter, was elated when told the news.

“I’ve been waiting for this for two years,” Mondesi said. “I know I can do it. It will make me a better hitter, and the team will be better. I just want the chance.

“This will give me a chance to score more runs, hit more homers, drive in more runs, everything. . . .

“I know I’ve got to be more patient, but I’m still going to be aggressive. Look at what I do when I swing at the first pitch.”

Mondesi has a career .346 average when swinging at the first pitch, including .382 last season. Yet, he also struck out 122 times and walked only 32 times in 1996.

“He’s wanted to hit in the spot all along, but now he’s earned it,” hitting coach Reggie Smith said. “The only thing that has kept him from the No. 3 spot is his discipline and willingness to take walks, but we saw that patience toward the end of last year.”

The Dodgers’ revamped lineup now could look like this: Brett Butler, Wilton Guerrero or Chad Fonville leading off, Mondesi, Piazza, Eric Karros, Todd Zeile, Todd Hollandsworth, Greg Gagne and the pitcher. It would provide an abundance of speed at the top of the lineup, and perhaps greatly diminish the Dodgers’ albatross of a year ago when Karros (27) and Piazza (21) grounded into 48 double plays. Karros led the league and Piazza tied for third.

“If I’m Piazza, Karros or Zeile,” Smith said, “I’m excited because now you’ve got a chance to drive in a run from anywhere. Mondesi can score from first, it doesn’t matter. This better suits our lineup, and I like the potential it provides to do more things with those guys.”

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Hollandsworth, the rookie of the year, is unsigned with less than 10 days remaining until the Dodgers’ March 2 deadline when they will renew all unsigned players.

The Dodgers have discussed a three-year contract worth about $4.4 million with Hollandsworth, but their differences may consign Hollandsworth to a one-year deal worth about $450,000.

“We have told them that we are willing to work within their established structure in terms of a multiyear [contract],” said Tracy Codd, Hollandsworth’s agent, “but the discussions have not been meaningful to date. We hope that something develops this next week.

“Right now, we’ve been focusing on a one-year contract.”

The primary reason no agreement has been reached is because of Hollandsworth’s unique status. Although he won the rookie-of-the-year award, he has two years of service time because of injuries in 1995, making him eligible for arbitration rights in a year.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers are in the midst of negotiations on a multiyear contract with starter Ismael Valdes. Valdes’ statistics the last two years (28-18 with a 3.19 ERA) are almost identical to teammate Hideo Nomo (29-17, 2.90), and he would like to be paid accordingly. Valdes earned $425,000 last season. Nomo is scheduled to earn $900,000 this season in the second year of a three-year, $4.3-million contract.